It is desirable to minimize the calibration burden that often accompanies existing implementations of both open and closed loop control strategies. It is further desirable to configure model-based control strategies such that improved models, in terms of accuracy and/or performance, may be simply substituted for corresponding existing models in the control strategies to achieve immediate system performance improvements. It is still further desirable to provide for optimization of the performance of physical systems under off-nominal operating conditions, i.e., under operating conditions outside those for which existing control strategies are specifically designed. The model-based control framework concepts described herein are directed to achieving these and other control strategy goals.